


Trial and Error

by JayceCarter



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Bad Sex, Drinking, F/M, Oral Sex, Self Confidence Issues, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 06:23:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10530738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayceCarter/pseuds/JayceCarter
Summary: A drunken Elder Maxson tries to seduce Nora, and she thinks, what's the worst that can happen?





	1. Chapter 1

Bourbon poured off the Elder’s breath. Skin above his left eye had started to darken from where he’d struck his head on the ship’s frame during the trek back to his quarters.

 

“You’re going to want to wash the liquor off you in the morning before any briefings.”

 

Arthur turned, pinning Nora between his body and the wall, his hands placed against the wall on each side of her head. “What do you say to a debriefing right now?”

 

“I’d say you’re drunk, Elder.”

 

He frowned. “Don’t call me that.”

 

“Why not? You usually tote that title around like a parade float.”

 

“Not here.” He took one finger and ran it down, over her bottom lip, down her chin, then between her breasts. “I don’t want to be just Elder Maxson here. I’m tired of being Elder Maxson. I have to do that all day, everyday. Make decisions, be some legendary figure who will save everyone. Here, with you, I just want to be Arthur.”

 

Something about the way he spoke had Nora tilting her head. He sounded so. . . young. He didn’t sound like the man she’d grown used to over her time aboard the Prydwen, the one who puffed his chest out when he spoke to look older, the one who always knew what to do. This one sounded no more than his twenty years of age made him. Unsure, desperate for reassurance.

 

She knew that feeling. She’d been trying to prove herself ever since waking up, trying to live up to the myth she’d become, the woman out of time.

 

Arthur leaned in, taking her mouth in a kiss that was more teeth and more tongue than a kiss called for. His mouth tasted like alcohol, which wasn’t a surprise since he’d poured more of it down his throat than she could believe. Half that amount and she’d have been flat on her back.

 

His fingers fumbled at her zipped, one hand still steadying himself against the wall. He got purchase on it and pulled the zipper down on her suit. She pulled her arms out of the sleeves so it hung around her waist.

 

“Damn, Nora, you look like the posters the men like to hang in the barracks.” He pushed a cup of her bra out of the way and captured a nipple between his lips.

 

Nora winced at the rough touch.

 

He pulled away, then grabbed her wrist and stumbled backward, toward his bed.

 

“Are you sure about this, Arthur?”

 

He pulled her around, laying her on the bed, then pulling the vaultsuit off her legs. “Isn’t that my line? I’m the man, and your superior. Aren’t I supposed to ask you if you’re sure you want to do this?” Arthur took his pants off and all but fell on top of her before hoisting his weight up and resting it on his hands.

 

“You’re the drunk one just this side of legal.” She parted her thighs around him, curling on leg around his hip. “I don’t want you waking up sober and regretting it.”

 

He reached between them, then she felt his cock pressing against her. “I’m not some blushing virgin in need of you checking in. I’ve done this plenty of times.”

 

Nora bit her lip as he pressed in. She was just barely wet enough for it not to be painful, but she wouldn’t consider it pleasant by a long shot.

 

Arthur dropped his forehead against her shoulder, his beard scratching her skin. His fingers tightened around her hip almost to the point of pain before he snapped his hips forward, seating fully inside her.

 

Nora gasped, back arching at the sudden invasion. She hadn’t gotten a good look at him, but he was not a small man. Her body rebelled at his presence, and she tried to breathe through it. Her hands went to his shoulders, but she forced herself to relax.

 

He must have taken the gasp the wrong way, because he slid out and snapped forward again. “Ah, hell, you feel so good,” He said against her shoulder, thrusts sloppy as his words. “I’ve wanted you ever since you walked onto my ship, all attitude and arrogance. Been thinking of you since then.”

 

Nora moved her hips, trying to get him to set a pace that worked for her. He didn’t slow, didn’t seem to notice her at all. His breath, more alcohol than air, blew across her skin.

 

Another minute and he shoved in deep enough for it to hurt, then stilled. His cock twitched inside of her, hand cranking down on her hip as he came. His weight then settled on her until she shoved his shoulder.

 

He rolled over, a soft snore coming from his lips.

 

He’d fallen asleep.

 

Nora groaned. What a fucking disaster. If she was going to lose all the respect she’d earned with the Brotherhood, couldn’t it have at least been for a worthwhile lay? Not some drunken quickie that hadn’t even been pleasant.

 

She tried to move, but he tossed an arm over her, fingers clutching her side. Nora unwrapped his heavy arm and slid from the bed.

 

She redressed, cheeks burning at the thought of having to talk about this the next day. Morning afters were hard enough when the sex was good, but how did you deal with terrible sex and an egomaniac superior? There was simply no kind way to say “you’re really terrible at that.”

 

With any luck, Arthur wouldn’t remember any of this in the morning, and they could both pretend it had never happened.

 

 

#

 

Arthur pulled Nora against his side, craving the warmth of her body. Her body crushed beneath his grip.

 

Wait, what?

 

He opened his eyes to find his arm not around the willing woman from the night before, but a pillow. He forced himself upright, ignoring the way his stomach lurched from too much alcohol and not enough food. His hand scrubbed his face as he tried to swallow away the remains of stale bourbon from his mouth.

 

He stood and stumbled to the sink. A mouthful of water spat back into the sink helped. Splashing water on his face helped more.

 

Why had she left?

 

Arthur smoothed his hair down, and used a rag to wash up. Showers were a rare luxury, and he tried not to waste resources just because he was Elder.

 

He’d imagined that if he ever managed to draw Nora that close, she’d stay the night, at least. He’d planned on waking up, on taking the morning slow, on showing her exactly how much he’d wanted her. It was supposed to be some sort of start, but she’d run off?

 

Maybe she just didn’t want to make assumptions? Afraid to overstay her welcome?

 

Damnit, once again he wished he had more experience with women. He’d had plenty of one night stands, plenty of sex with random people who meant little, but he had no idea about romance. A man in his position didn’t have that luxury.

 

At least, that had been true before Nora. She might be Brotherhood, but she was outside their structure. She didn’t see him as the last Maxson, as the man with a soul forged in eternal steel. She’d yell at him when he needed it, help him back to his quarters when he’d drank too much.

 

Arthur sighed as he pulled on his battlecoat, with no way to avoid starting his day any longer.

 

He’d just have to find her later and convince her for another round.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Nora gripped the wrench, planting her feet against the power armor frame and using her full body weight to try to get it to budge.

 

If she found the incompetent recruit who stripped the thing, she’d personally throw them overboard.  

 

The metal groaned, the bolt gave, and with it Nora’s leverage disappeared. She stumbled backward and into something large and hard.

 

Hands closed around her arms to hold her up. “You could just ask for help.”

 

Nora pulled back and turned, looking up into the smiling face of Arthur. “I don’t need help. I got it.”

 

“Yes, and I’m sure the concussion you would have gotten if I hadn’t been here to catch you would have helped matters.”

 

Nora picked the wrench up from the ground and tossed it onto the workbench beside the power armor. “What did you need, Elder?”

 

He glanced side to side, as if making sure they were still alone. While the power armor stations tended to be busy during the day, at all of three a.m. they were dead, which was the reason Nora chose then to work. Sleep hadn’t come easy to her in a long time, maybe a result of being frozen for so long, so she liked to work while others slept.

 

And she’d spent the day avoiding both work and, more importantly, Arthur, so she needed to catch up.

 

 “Are we okay, Nora?”

 

She leaned against the bench and folded her arms. “Yeah, sure we are. Why?”

 

“You were gone when I woke up, and it seemed you were avoiding me today. Those are not the actions of two people who are fine.”

 

She looked at the floor, the topic too strange to look at his face. “Look, it was a fling. No need to make it into something else.”

 

His fingers touched her chin, lifting her face until it met his again. “What if I don’t just want a fling? What if I want more than that?”

 

Damnit. When he looked at her like that, she remembered the reason she’d said yes in the first place. When he wasn’t being an ass, he could be sweet. It didn’t hurt that she hadn’t seen a better looking man, ever perhaps. But their night hadn’t been good. She’d woken sore, and not in a way that said she’d had a fun night.

 

“Look, sometimes things just don’t work out, okay? We, uh, well we tried it, and I think that’s it.”

 

“Why? Did you not enjoy it?” He released the words on a soft laugh.

 

Whatever was on her face must have answered for her, because he took a step back, shoulders going rigid.

 

“You didn’t? What was wrong?”

 

“What? I didn’t say that, Arthur. Just, forget it, okay?”

 

He wrapped a hand around her arm, not hard, just enough to keep her from retreating. “I have never had any complaints before, you know.”

 

“You really think people are going to complain to Elder Arthur Maxson?”

 

His lips pressed together and he jerked his gaze away. “Why was it bad?”

 

“It wasn’t bad.”

 

“You are a terrible liar.”

 

“Some people just don’t mesh well, okay? It happens.” She pulled at his grip, but he didn’t release her.

 

“That’s bull and we both know it. Come on, Nora, be honest. I might have been drunk, but I don’t recall it being that bad.”

 

“Are you sure you remember it?”

 

He glared. “Yes, I remember it. Maybe there is something wrong with you. As I said, I’ve never had anyone say anything negative before.”

 

Nora yanked her arm away, hard enough that he either had to release her or be ready to bruise her skin. “Believe it or not, your dick is not some magic Maxson treasure through which orgasms flow. If you’re getting compliments from other women, I suggest you go find them.” She straightened her back, trying to stand tall even if would never be close to his height. “As for me, I had one taste and let’s just say it was more than enough for me. Goodnight, Elder.”

 

#

 

Arthur drank. It seemed all he did anymore.

 

“Were you looking for company?” The young woman set his food down on his table.

 

They’d had sex before, something they tended to do every few weeks to burn off steam. Fraternization was something the Brotherhood frowned on, but they also understood that soldiers had basic needs. Arthur always ensured the others made the first move, so his position of power was never used to manipulate anyone. He made sure they knew it was just sex, and that no favors would be granted, that it held no level or permanence.

 

“Do you want company?”

 

She frowned, like she could sense his mood. “I’d be happy to, Elder.”

 

Elder? The word made him rub his fingers against the bridge of his nose.

 

The woman walked over and slid to her knees in front of him. She set her hands on his thighs. “What’s the matter, Elder? You seem tense. Why don’t you just lean back and relax?”

 

He reached out and slid his hand into her hair, forcing her head up so she looked into his eyes. “Call me Arthur.”

 

“That would be, inappropriate.”

 

“Would you be here if I weren’t Elder?”

 

She frowned, like his words made no sense. Didn’t that answer it? If he weren’t Elder, she wouldn’t be there. He saw lust in her eyes, but he realized, it wasn’t for him. It was for his title. No matter how clear he’d been, the faces of each woman came back to him. They’d all wanted what they thought he could give them, even if it was just a chance. They wanted status, they wanted the possibility of his last name.

 

None had wanted him.

 

He released the grip on her hair and pushed her hands off him. “I won’t require your services anymore. Please, go back to your quarters.”

 

Insult spread across her face, but she wouldn’t dare say a word about it. Not like Nora. Of course, this girl didn’t really have the opportunity to, either. Nora was given privilege few others were because she wasn’t really Brotherhood.

 

The girl stood, hands drawn into fists. “Of course, Elder.” She nodded and then left.

 

Arthur set the vodka down and stood up. He needed to speak with Nora, now.

 

#

 

“If you ever wander in here sober, it will be a miracle, you know that?” Nora’s legs stretched out across the bed, a book in her lap, as she watched Arthur walk into her room and shut the door behind him.

 

“I’m not drunk.”

 

“Guess the vodka scent that followed you in here was a coincident.”

 

He frowned and stuck his hands into his coat. “I drank a little. Not that much.”

 

Nora shut the book and set it down beside her. “What are you doing here? I thought we had this discussion already.”

 

“You’re right. There was a woman in my quarters, and I thought she was there because she wished to be, but you were right. She did not really want me.”

 

“I didn’t mean no one wanted you, Arthur.”

 

“Perhaps not, but it was true. It is why no one has ever been honest with me about my. . .” he hesitated and she swore his cheeks flushed. “performance. No one except you.”

 

“Lucky me for being the one to do it, huh?” Nora shook her head. She got up, but winced at the tugging in her lower stomach.

 

His gaze locked on the movement. “I hurt you? I was not only not good, but I actually hurt you?”

 

She laughed, shaking her head. “I’m fine. You were a bit rough. Alcohol sort of dulls your self-control, and in case no one has mentioned it, you’re not exactly small. A bit of discomfort isn’t cause for worry.”

 

He took a deep breath, then released it slowly, like trying to steady himself. “I’m sorry. I can understand if you never want to try again, but, I would like to.” He reached out and took her hand. “We will go slow, you can teach me.”

 

“Why? Anyone could do that for you, Arthur, why me?”

 

“You’re the only one willing to me honest with me. You’re the only one who will call me Arthur. It was not just the alcohol when I told you I’d wanted you from the first day. Everyone else here sees me as my name, as my legacy. You see me as a man.”

 

“I barely see you as a boy, Arthur. An arrogant boy, at that.”

 

He tugged at her hand until she chose to step forward. He set a hand on her lower back, but not so tight she couldn’t leave. “So teach me, Nora. Please.”

 

She crumbled when faced with the honesty in his face. He wanted someone, anyone, he could trust. Not trust because they saw him a certain way, but trust because they cared about him, because they didn’t expect him to be anything else.

 

“Alright. But you can’t be drunk. No alcohol at all.”

 

He nodded. “Fair enough. You will come to my quarters tomorrow night?”

 

“Against my better judgement, yeah.”

 

He leaned in, and she expected him to kiss her, to try to pull more from her than she wanted to give, but he only pressed his lips against her cheek, then turned and left her alone.

 

What had she gotten herself into?


	3. Chapter 3

 

A soft knock on Arthur’s door had him hesitating. This was foolish. He was Elder Arthur Maxson, not some teenager in need of help.

 

Then the face of that girl, on her knees, came back to him and he groaned. “Come in.”

 

Nora entered, her face holding the same uncertainty. She wore her vaultsuit, hair pulled back into a ponytail. “Hey.”

 

“Hey.”

 

She closed the door behind her, throwing the lock on it. When she turned around, she leaned her back against the door.

 

“We don’t have to do this,” he said, voice soft. “If you are uncomfortable, I don’t wish for you to feel forced or manipulated. You’re welcome to leave.”

 

“Do you want me to leave?”

 

He shook his head. “No. I wasn’t kidding, I want you. But after that first time. . .” Arthur released a breath then looked away. “I wouldn’t blame you for deciding this isn’t a good idea.”

 

Nora’s hands came to rest on his chest, the feeling sliding past his heavy battlecoat and into his skin. “I didn’t say yes to you that first night because you’re Elder. Hell, that was the biggest reason I wasn’t sure. Well, that and you’re young.”

 

He bristled beneath the comment. “I am not that young.”

 

“You really are. You’re a young man who has had way too many responsibilities set on you before they should have been. You’re barely older than a kid, Arthur. You should be out chasing girls and playing beer pong, not overseeing major offensives and responsible for hundreds of men and women. Hell, at your age I was just barely in college, still running home to my parents when I ran out of money or when some boy broke my heart. You shouldn’t have to be out here doing this.”

 

Most of her words meant little to him, just remnants from a life he didn’t know anything about. “This is the world now, Nora. This is the one I was raised in. I may seem young to you, by your standards, but not by the standards of this world.”

 

“I know that. It’s just, when I see you bearing that burden, it hurts. Say what you want about it, but you shouldn’t have to.” She leaned up to her tip toes and brought her lips to his. The kiss was soft, slow. He stayed still, only repeating the movement back.

 

After a moment, she released a moan on a soft breath, and his lips quirked up. That sounded nice. The need to draw more of those sounds from her grew in him.

 

Nora broke the kiss and stepped back. “So, what do you want?”

 

He opened his hand and placed it on her lower stomach. “I hurt you last time. I want to make up for that. I want to pull more of those little moans out of you, I want to watch you come apart beneath my touch. I want you to show me how to do that.”

 

A blush crept across her cheeks, but her fingers went to the zipper of her suit. “Strip.”

 

He shrugged his coat off and draped it over the back of a chair. “I’m going to keep the rest on. Helps to keep me focused.”

 

“Focused?” She pulled the vaultsuit off then set it on the dresser.

 

“Let’s just say that it is more difficult to resist your temptation when the path is easier. Some layers of clothing help.”

 

Nora laughed as she sat on the bed. “This isn’t a battle, Arthur.”

 

He came over and sank down in front of her. “Of course it is. Life is a battle, Nora. It’s about marshaling your forces, figuring out the enemy defenses and weaknesses, and planning an attack.” He pressed his lips to her bare knee.

 

#

 

Had she ever seen a better sight than Arthur Maxson kneeling in front of her? His beard scratched her skin he lined kisses on her flesh. His fingers curled around her knees and pressed them apart.

 

She let her legs fall open. He continued the kisses up the inside of her thigh, his hands trailing up the tops until the rested at her hips.

 

“Is this okay?”

 

She laughed. “Yeah, it’s pretty fucking good so far.”

 

“You know, language like that isn’t fitting for a Brotherhood soldier.” His fingers slid beneath the band of her panties and he waited until she lifted her hips before he pulled the down her legs, discarding them behind him.

 

“Well, get used to it. The more I’m enjoying myself, the filthier my mouth gets. So be worried if you aren’t hearing any cursing.”

 

His eyebrow lifted. “Giving away weaknesses already, are you?” He drug his hands up her legs again until they were at the crease of her hip, thumbs resting just outside her slit. “I’ve never really done this,” he admitted, voice quiet. “Not really sure what to do.”

 

“You’ve never done what?”

 

“This. Touching. The women I’ve been with have wanted to rush, to get right to the sex. Any attempts I made at more were shrugged off.”

 

Nora cupped his cheeks, leaning down for a soft kiss. “Hey, it’s okay. Just do whatever seems right, and I’ll tell you if it doesn’t work.”

 

He took a deep breath until she released his face, then slid forward a bit, shouldering her legs wider.

 

One thumb brushed up her slit, the touch so soft she jumped.

 

“Sorry,” he muttered.

 

“No, it’s okay. It just surprised me. Do it again.”

 

He repeated the action, and this time she relaxed. His heavy hands helped ground her, the single touch of one thumb soft enough to tempt her, like a coaxing touch. He slid that thumb from the bottom of her cunt to the top, and when it brushed her clit, she sucked in a breath.

 

He repeated the action, zeroing in on the spot that got the reaction. Fuck, she was in trouble here. Arthur paid close attention, and he seemed to be a quick study. This time he pressed harder against her clit, but she winced.

 

“Hurts?”

 

She shook her head and captured his hand. “Dry skin is uncomfortable. Sex is a wet sport,” she said before sliding his thumb past her lips. She wrapped her tongue around it before releasing it.

 

Arthur groaned before returning the thumb to her clit. His gaze darted between her face and her cunt. The man noted each shiver, each movement she made. He took one hand off her thigh, and a finger of it disappeared into his mouth.

 

Nora whimpered at the promise behind those eyes as he drew the finger out, then pressed it against her slit. “Can I?”

 

She nodded, and he pressed in. She winced. “Slower, Arthur.”

 

He slowed the finger, but kept his thumb moving. Nora leaned further back, until she laid flat on the bed.

 

#

 

Nora laid before him like a sacrifice, like the best present in the whole world. Arthur promised himself he’d do this right, that she wouldn’t regret that trust.

 

He slid the finger out, then pressed it back into her. Her cunt squeezed around his finger, but the catch of her breath said it wasn’t in pain. His thumb rubbed against her clit, varying the pressure, chasing the sounds she made.

 

Arthur implemented his detachment, keeping himself distant to focus on Nora, on her reactions. He was a master strategist, and he called on all those skills to study Nora. Her chest rose and fell faster, a blush over her cheeks. Her teeth worked her bottom lip until she covered her mouth with her hand.

 

He nipped at the inside of her thigh. “None of that. I want to hear you. I need to so I can figure out what I’m doing. I’m still waiting for that filthy mouth of yours to start.” He kissed the spot he’d bitten, and her gasp had him smiling.

 

Arthur moved his thumb and replaced it with his tongue. Nora’s legs tried to close, but they ran into his shoulders.

 

“Is this okay?”

 

Breath shuddered from her. “Yes. Yeah, it’s okay. Just, go slow?”

 

He laughed at the hitch in her voice, the quake that said he was sliding beneath her defenses. He slid his finger out and replaced it with two fingers.

 

“Oh, fuck.” She arched up.

 

He circled his tongue around her clit. His fingers angled forward, rubbing against a patch of rough skin. When they did, her hands gripped the bedding and she sucked in a breath, body jerking.

 

“Well, what do we have here?” He repeated the action, drawing another gasp from her. Damn, he liked that, he liked the way she moaned as he stroked her, the way her inhibitions disappeared and she gave herself over to him, to what he wanted to do. “Are you going to come for me, Nora?”

 

Her hand wrapped around the back of his head, pressing him closer. “Shut up, and get back to work, would you?”

 

He laughed before returning his tongue to her. His free hand cupped her hip to hold her still as he sped his fingers, making sure to hit that spot that drove her crazy. Her hips began to thrust against him, even against his grip.

 

His lips wrapped around her clit, sucking. She moaned, releasing his head and arching her back up and off the bed. "Oh fuck, Arthur." Her cunt tightened around his fingers, but he didn’t stop. He softened the touch, releasing her clit and returning his thumb to light caresses.

 

After a moment, Nora pushed his shoulder. “Too sensitive,” she mumbled, voice tired. Arthur pulled his fingers out of her. He starred at her a moment more, the way her body shivered, the way her cunt twitched. He licked her again, before she used a foot to push him back.

 

Arthur laughed and rearranged her on the bed, then slid in beside her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pull her against him.

 

“I should go,” she said, but yawned before the words got out.

 

“No, you should stay.”

 

“It’s not a good idea.”

 

“I’m Elder. I get to decide if things are a good decision or not.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Was that good? Did you. . . like that?”

 

She snuggled against him, body still soft, yielding, like she was half asleep already. “Oh, yeah. That was good.”

 

“So you’ll come back tomorrow night?”

 

“You keep this up, I’ll come back every night, Arthur.”

 

He released a breath he hadn’t known he was holding as he clutched her to his chest. “Yeah, that sounds good.”


End file.
